Elijah in the cave - a guided meditation
We used this guided meditation in the opening session of the Engage Worship Day on the 21st of February 2015. It can be used as a Bible reading of the passage (just make sure that you give more time to it than your ordinary readings), or it could be used as a stand-alone reflection, perhaps leading to discussion questions about anxiety, running away and the way we experience God.
If your church is not used to engaging in guided meditations, it would probably be helpful to give a brief introduction, making it less scary for those who fear anything reflective. Write your own introduction suitable for your particular setting, but as an example, this is what I said on the day:
"We're going to take some time right now to hear God's word, and the way we're going to do it is in a guided meditation. That's a phrase that sounds slightly airy fairy, but it simply means that I'm going to invite you into the story, to try to imagine what the people in the story experienced with their senses, to get a deeper understanding of what's going on. Are you up for that? Great, so get yourself comfortable, close your eyes if it helps you focus - if you fall asleep, you probably need it, so we'll only wake you up if you start snoring!"
A little bit of humour and speaking in your normal voice (ie not holy preacher voice), goes a long way in putting people at ease.
Proper 7, Ordinary/Lectionary 12 (Year C)
Proper 8, Ordinary/Lectionary 13 (Year C)
Proper 14, Ordinary/Lectionary 19 (Year A)
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